Hispanic Caregivers' Immigration Status, Inability to Speak English Might Affect Care of Children with Cancer

Hispanic Caregivers' Immigration Status, Inability to Speak English Might Affect Care of Children with Cancer

Oct 31, 2012 11:25 AM

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Navigating the U.S. health care system with a child who
has cancer can be confusing and even frightening for parents and caregivers who
speak English. But for those who speak only Spanish, the language barriers and
other factors, including immigration status, may have an impact on their
children’s care.

U of U pediatric oncologist Mark Fluchel, M.D., wanted to understand the
perspectives of Spanish speakers compared to English speakers whose children
had undergone cancer treatment, so he surveyed Spanish- and English-language
parents and other caregivers whose children were treated for cancer at Primary
Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City. This week, Fluchel, an assistant
professor of pediatrics, is presenting some of the results at the American
Association for Cancer Research (AACR) conference:

· More than 13
percent of Spanish-speaking respondents reported delaying or avoiding care for
their child because of their immigration status.

· Spanish-speaking
respondents were significantly more likely to be incorrect about whether their
child was in a clinical trial.

· Nearly four in
10 Spanish speakers reported feeling that the oncology staff did not understand
them, while more than one in five reported falsely claiming to understand the
oncology staff because they were embarrassed about not speaking English.

· Spanish
speakers were more likely to feel that the potential side effects of therapy
were explained less well than English speakers. But more of the Spanish
speakers than English speakers were satisfied with their child’s care (both
groups reported a high rate of satisfaction.)

· One-third of
Spanish-speaking respondents believed their child would have received better
care if English were their first language.

· There was a
trend toward Spanish-speaking children to have more time from the onset of
symptoms to diagnosis, although this did not reach statistical significance.

“Ultimately, the most important thing physicians and nurses must do is
to establish a trusting relationship with families and make sure they are
comfortable with asking for clarification,” Fluchel says. “We can’t assume
everything we say is being understood.”